


fine

by Noa



Category: Kill la Kill
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cute, Light-Hearted, Other, Post-Finale, Romance, School Dances, Slice of Life, This is a no-tears zone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2015-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-14 04:33:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2178054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noa/pseuds/Noa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They’d seen the stars up close.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As the title and tags suggest, this is set in an alternate ending of Kill La Kill. I'm planning to make this a fic made up of smaller moments between Senketsu and Ryuko. Some chapters will be longer than others, and some may feature other characters. Tags will be updated accordingly as I go.
> 
> It's entirely self-indulgent. 
> 
> (And I'm not ashamed of it.)

Ryuko has never been a long-term kind of person. She chased her desires from the moment they arose, and tackled obstacles whenever they tried to hold her back. She lived in the now, not in the later, and this way of life made her who she was. Senketsu admired her ‘all or nothing’ mentality. He himself was a bit more calculating, monitoring. He didn’t think too far ahead- just far enough to keep Ryuko from running headlong into brick walls.

They changed, though.

Saving the world came with a myriad of new experiences for both of them. They made friends, enemies, family, and sometimes people who were all three. They took countless of forms as they explored each other, and themselves. They shared tears, laughter, fibers. They’d learned, and grown.

They’d seen the stars up close.

There was no way to come down from something like that unchanged. They crashed from the sky like a meteor, Ryuko’s arms wrapped around her torso, and Senketsu’s eyes squeezed shut. In that moment, neither of them spoke. They shared silence and fire like it was their secret to keep, something special between them alone.

Strong arms caught them both with their skin still burning, and their faces stained with soot.

No bones were broken, and no fabric torn beyond repair. However, the impact of their fall had left Ryuko with a mild concussion, and Senketsu refused to let Iori patch him up until she made a full recovery. On doctor’s -well, teacher’s- orders, he woke her up every three hours. He asked her if she knew where she was, if she knew who he was, and every time she told him in a sleepy voice that he must be pretty stupid to think she’d forget something like that just because of a ‘dumb little fall’.

She was going to be just fine.

So was Senketsu.

He was torn here and charred there, but the sewing club possessed enough life fiber remains to mend him. Once he finally agreed to leave Ryuko’s frame, it was a matter of hours before he was as good as new. During those hours, Ryuko sat by Iori’s side at his sewing table. One of his lab coats was wrapped around her shoulders, her hands were on her knees and her bottom lip was pressed between her teeth. She watched anxiously, quiet only because Iori had threatened to kick her out (“If you tell me how to do my job one more time, you may wait outside until I’m done”). As soon as Iori took his foot off the pedal of the sewing machine, she jumped up, and all but snatched Senketsu away from under the needle. He woke up, and when Ryuko asked if he felt alright, he said yes, though some ironing wouldn’t hurt. She shook her head in disapproval as she smoothed him down her sides, and promised she’d see what she could do.

Though there was no real need left for Ryuko to wear Senketsu (the battle was over, after all), she never wore anything else. At first, Senketsu tried to convince her that she was free to wear whatever she wanted now: cute things, cool things, denim shorts and flowing dresses, but Ryuko stood firm in her decision. After a while, Senketsu stopped trying to argue. Not just because he knew he wouldn’t be able to win, but because being Ryuko’s one and only didn’t bother him in the slightest. No one questioned it: they weren’t expecting anything else to begin with. Ryuko and Senketsu were a unit. Seeing one without the other felt like looking at an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. They completed each other, compensated for each other’s shortcomings, and encouraged each other to be way more than they could ever be alone.

It’s been a year since Ryuko fell from heaven. Rebuilding has been going surprisingly fast- it’s impressive what you can accomplish with the right resources. Kiryuin Satsuki has moved on to become the head of the Kiryuin corporation, and owner of all assets ascribed to that name. Though she has a lot of dark history to make up for, she carries the responsibilities that come with her name with grace and pride. It’s been a busy year, but things were starting to come together, and it offered some space to breathe.

Ryuko sits on a grass-covered dam, and stares out over the water. She helped replant this grass along with the former gardening club, but sitting like this makes it feel like it’s never been a battlefield at all. The atmosphere is peaceful, and Senketsu must feel it too- he makes no effort to hold back a relaxed sigh. With a soft groan, Ryuko lets herself fall back against the cool grass.

“Man, I’m beat.” She says, stretching her arms out wide.

“You did well.” Senketsu comments, and Ryuko can’t help but grin proudly.

“Yeah.” She says.

The last few weeks, everyone’s been working to carry new furniture into the restored school building. It was awesome to see those ruins slowly becoming a school again, but logging around desks, blackboards and chairs was exhausting. She couldn’t really sneak off, either. Everyone knew what she was capable of, and her strength was called on whenever, wherever. It was a bit annoying, but working together with everyone wasn’t that bad.

“You’d do even better if you would let me help.” Senketsu says. Ryuko frowns, and strains her neck a bit to look down at her uniform.

“What? Then what am I supposed to wear?” She asks.

“Anything you want.” He answers simply. “Though I’m sure no one would mind if you decide to work in your under-”

“Dream on.” She huffs. Senketsu chuckles under his breath, and Ryuko lets her head fall back with a sigh. The grass tickles her ears, and the setting sun feels warm on her skin.

“You’re impossible.” She says.

“Of course. I am a speaking school uniform. What were you expecting?” He replies.

She rolls her eyes, but her lips curl into a smile, and she can feel Senketsu is smiling as well. Neither of them can hide anything from the other- they are too in sync to keep secrets. Senketsu has always been capable of reading Ryuko (a bit too well, in her opinion), but over time, Ryuko learned to sense Senketsu’s feelings as well. It was second nature to them, but that didn’t make it any less amazing.

“What are you thinking of, Ryuko.” Senketsu asks.

“That cloud right there looks a bit like you.” She answers, raising one of her arms to point up at the sky. It’s quiet for a second as Senketsu searches for that particular cloud.

Once he’s found it, Senketsu frowns. “That looks nothing like me.”

“How can you not see it?” Ryuko says, and she sits up to point out the details. “Look, there’s your sleeves, that’s your bow- and those are your weird eyebrows.”

“W-weird eyebrows?” Senketsu sounds a bit shocked.

Ryuko snickers, and she gives the collar of her uniform a playful tug.

“Super weird. You could be Satsuki’s rival.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He says. “That spot is reserved for you.” Senketsu tries to act like he doesn’t care about what Ryuko said, but his eyebrows droop a little. Ryuko notices, smiling as she toys with the red fabric.

“Who says she can’t have two rivals? It’s not like she couldn’t handle it.” She says. “Besides, you need a rival. Everyone has a rival.”

“Why can’t I be your rival then.” Senketsu asks.

“You can’t be my rival.” She says, like it’s obvious. “You’re my-”

Ryuko cuts herself off just in time, but Senketsu doesn’t miss the flush rising to her cheeks. His voice takes on a teasing edge.

“Your..?”

“Shut up.” Ryuko snaps, and she lets go of his collar. She gets up, and stretches out. Brushing some stray blades of grass off of Senketsu, she walks back up to the road. “We should go home. Dinner’s gonna be ready soon.”

Senketsu doesn’t reply. He just grins to himself, and closes his eyes when Ryuko tugs his sleeves down to hold his cuffs with her fingers.

*

“Ryuko.”

The room is dark, quiet, and it stays that way. Senketsu tries again, calling Ryuko’s name from his hanger.

“Ryuko. Wake up.”

A soft groan emerges from the bed, and a lump under the blanket stirs slightly.

“Ryuko.”

Some more stirring occurs, and the blanket wriggles about until Ryuko’s head peeks out from underneath. Her hair’s sticking up a little, and her eyes look tired.

“What is it?” She says, voice slurred with sleep.

“Do you really think my eyebrows are weird?”

Ryuko doesn’t reply. She just stares at him.

Senketsu blinks at her, and she blinks back.

“Senketsu.” She then says, slowly.

“Yes?”

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“Yes.”

“Go back to sleep.” She says, and with that, she disappears behind her blanket.

“Wait, Ryuko- This is important! Don’t ignore me. Are they weird? Should I make a different face? What about this. Ryuko?” Senketsu rants on as he tries various expressions in the darkness of their bedroom. “Ryuko. I know you’re not sleeping. Ryuk-”

A pillow hits him clean in the face, effectively shutting him up. He blinks a few times as his hanger stills, and then he sees Ryuko grumpily shuffling towards him to get her pillow back. She picks it up from the floor, and just as Senketsu is about to speak up again, she presses her hand to the hem of his shirt.

“Your eyebrows. Are fine.” She says, before turning around and climbing back into bed, mumbling something along the lines of “Damn clothes not getting a damn joke”.

Senketsu watches her quietly. He rolls his eyes up to try and look at his own eyebrows, but to no avail. He sighs, glances at Ryuko, and then sighs a bit louder. She turns around in bed to face him, and for a moment Senketsu thinks he might get another pillow to the mouth, but instead she sighs as well.

“It was a joke, you dumbass.” She says. “Your eyebrows are fine. Your face is fine. I like it.” She yawns. “Now please. Go back to sleep.”

She closes her eyes, and her breathing deepens as she dozes off. Senketsu stares for just a moment longer before he lets his own eyes slip shut as well, replaying Ryuko’s words in his thoughts.

She said she liked his face.

The sides of his skirt pull up a little in resemblance of a wide, goofy grin, and both Senketsu and Ryuko spend the rest of the night dreaming of each other.


	2. Chapter 2

“I don’t think it’s working, Ryuko.” Senketsu says.

Ryuko hoists her legs up on one of the classroom desks, and puts her hands behind her head. She lounges back in one of the small wooden chairs, and stares out of the window.

“You’re doing fine.” She says, stifling a yawn. “Just keep trying.”

On a chair opposite to them sits Mako Mankanshoku, hands planted firmly on her knees and determination burning in her eyes. She glares at Senketsu like she’s trying to look through him.

“Did he say something yet?” Mako asks, not taking her eyes off of Ryuko’s uniform.

“I’ve been talking to you the whole time!” Senketsu exclaims, his voice desperate, and Ryuko chuckles.

They’ve been in one of the (still unused) classrooms for about two hours now. Taking a break from cleaning windows, Mako overheard Ryuko chat with Senketsu, and said she’d really like to understand him as well. Normally, both Ryuko and Senketsu would’ve dismissed the thought. However, since Satsuki became capable of understanding Senketsu, they figured it should be possible for others to hear him as well. And logically, since Mako had worn Senketsu before, her chances of hearing him should be higher.

Theoretically, anyway.

In reality, Senketsu felt like he was talking to a 5 foot 2 wall with short brown hair.

“Ryuko, can we stop.” Senketsu sighs.

“Why?” Ryuko asks. “Are you tired?”

“No.” Senketsu replies. “But the way she’s looking at me is making me uncomfortable.”

Ryuko glances at Mako. Her cheeks are puffed out slightly, her lips are pressed together and her eyebrows are pulled into a deep frown as she stares directly into Senketsu’s eyes. Definitely not the face of an underachiever. In fact, if Mako looked at Ryuko like that, she’d probably get a bit nervous too. Their practice gave Ryuko a great excuse to skip cleaning though, so she saw no reason to stop yet.

“She’s not going to bite you, Senketsu.” Ryuko says teasingly, but she can feel from the way Senketsu fidgets that he isn’t too sure about that himself.

Then, Mako jumps up with a yell loud enough to alert the entire building. Ryuko nearly topples over, but she manages to catch herself on the desk before falling off her chair. When she straightens, Mako is all but nose-to-nose with Senketsu (which effectively plants her face right at the center of Ryuko’s chest).

“M-Mako?” Ryuko asks.

“I think I heard something!” Mako says. Ryuko’s eyes widen slightly, and Senketsu perks up a bit.

“Really? Can you understand me?” He says.

Both girls are dead quiet, listening, until a low rumble disturbs the silence. Mako blinks.

“Never mind!” She exclaims. “That was my stomach.”

Ryuko just looks at her for a second before bursting into laughter, and Senketsu groans. Mako looks down at the watch she’s not wearing, and gasps.

“It’s almost dinner time, too! Sorry Senketsu, we’ll talk more later okay?”

Mako throws them both a wave, and heads out of the classroom at a speed Ryuko’s only ever seen from her when she’s on her way to eat. Ryuko waves back before wiping the tears from her eyes, her shoulders still shaking with giggles.

“Man,” She says, wheezing. “That was funny.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. All this stress is wrinkling my fabric.” Senketsu huffs, and Ryuko pats his bow apologetically.

“Sorry Senketsu.” She says. “I’ll see if I can borrow the iron later, okay?”

Senketsu calms at that, his thoughts already drifting to the ironing board, and he hums. Ryuko gets up from the classroom chair, and doesn’t bother to put it back in place before heading for the door.

Dinner at Mako’s is lively that night.

“I hear you’ve been making good progress on the school!” Mako’s dad says in between bites of croquette. His wife nods enthusiastically.

“Lady Satsuki asked if I wanted to help in the cafeteria! It’s all really exciting.” Sukuyo Mankanshoku packs more food onto Mako’s plate (who is showing no signs of having indulged in snacks before dinner).

“You should totally do it mom.” Mataro says with his mouth full. “If they serve your food at lunch, I might go to school too.”

Guts barks in agreement, and Mako’s mother blushes slightly.

“Oh my.. I haven’t really decided yet. But I suppose it would be nice to get out of the house sometimes.” She smiles, and Ryuko can’t help but smile too. Mako’s definitely got her infectious smile from her mother.

“Are you sure you’ve had enough, Ryuko?” Sukuyo asks, and Ryuko nods politely.

“Yes, thank you.”

Senketsu coughs, and Ryuko promptly remembers what she forgot to ask.

“Oh, by the way, can I borrow your iron?” She adds.

“Of course dear.” Mako’s mother answers, violently jerking the pan away from her husband as he’s trying to scoop up more croquettes. “You know where it is right?”

Ryuko nods again, and excuses herself from the table after thanking Sukuyo for the meal.

In her room, Ryuko sets up the small ironing board and plugs in the iron. She gets up from the floor, and raises her arms above her head. Getting the hint, Senketsu stirs, and lifts himself from Ryuko’s frame, landing on the floor with a soft thud. Ryuko turns towards the closet and grabs her pajamas, slipping them on.

They’ve gone through this little routine plenty of times before, and it’s nothing special anymore, but there’s still something about it that feels close. They were kind of like a couple getting ready for bed.

It wasn’t bedtime yet, though.

“Don’t let the iron get too hot.” Senketsu warns, and Ryuko frowns as she kneels back down by the ironing board. Senketsu had already splayed himself across the flat surface, and Ryuko tugs at him here and there to straighten his fabric.

“Shut up.” She says, her voice way too gentle for her words. “Not the first time I’m doing this y’know.”

“Just making sure.” Senketsu says, before the iron is pressed to his seams, and he falls quiet with a little pleased sigh.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ryuko snickers quietly. All that talk, but in the end he’s surprisingly easy to shut up.

Despite what she said earlier, Ryuko takes great care as she irons Senketsu. She never leaves the iron in one place for longer than a second, works out the wrinkles and sets the pleats thoroughly. She’s focused on what she’s doing, but still relaxed, and the atmosphere in the room is calm and comfortable.

“I wonder why Mako can’t hear you yet.” Ryuko thinks out loud. She’s working on the cuffs of Senketsu’s sleeves, and Senketsu opens his eyes to stare up at the ceiling.

“I’m not sure.” He says. “Maybe our connection just isn’t strong enough.”

“But Satsuki can hear you just fine.” Ryuko comments, switching to the other sleeve. Senketsu hums.

“I’ve synchronized with her. And the two of you are related by blood. If Mako were to wear me again, maybe it will be easier.”

Ryuko goes quiet for a bit, as the iron soundlessly glides across Senketsu’s fabric.

“It’s not that bad, right.” She then says. “That she can’t hear you, I mean.”

Senketsu steals a glance at Ryuko, but she avoids his eyes, staring at the iron instead.

“No.” Senketsu says. “I suppose not.”

They share a silence. Ryuko bites her lip as she finishes ironing Senketsu’s sleeves. He keeps his eyes on her, but he’s not searching. He’s waiting.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Ryuko mutters. She sets the iron aside, having straightened every square inch of Senketsu’s fabric.

“Like what.” Senketsu asks, and Ryuko frowns.

“Like you know something I don’t.” She answers in a huff, and she reaches to unplug the iron. Senketsu doesn’t reply to her, but he doesn’t change his expression either.

“Get off, you’re in the way.” Ryuko says, giving a little nod in direction of the ironing board.

Senketsu wriggles a little, like he’s stretching after a workout. Then, he hops off the ironing board, and sits down on the floor. Ryuko folds the small board in, and stores it away. She grabs a hanger for Senketsu, and holds it still as he pulls himself onto the plastic.

“Let’s just focus on getting the city back together for now.” Ryuko says. She puts the hanger up on the closet’s door, and brushes Senketsu down.

“And Mako?” He asks.

“Mako hasn’t heard a word you said since we met.” Ryuko answers. “A bit longer won’t hurt.” The last word of her sentence twists into a yawn, and Ryuko rubs her eyes.

“I’m going to sleep now.” She says, and she pats Senketsu’s bow as her other hand covers up a second yawn. “Night, Senketsu.”

Senketsu hides a smile.

“Goodnight, Ryuko.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Italics indicate writing.)

It was a brisk Fall morning, and Mako’s voice rang clear through the dewy air.

“We’re gonna be late Ryuko, hurry up!” She yelled.

“Yeah yeah.” Ryuko called back, stumbling out the door as she wriggled into her second shoe.

Mako was already there (and had been for about 23 minutes), bouncing from foot to foot, barely able to contain her excitement. Ryuko snorted at her, though she couldn't deny being a bit nervous herself.

It was the first day of school.

Well, sort of.

Ryuko already had her first day, back when she first came to this city. The hassle of introducing yourself to the class, standing out as a transfer student, having to deal with a weird bespectacled teacher and an even weirder student council.. It all felt like it happened ages ago, but in reality it hadn’t even been two years.

It was a bit surreal. What if she ended up getting a part-time job or something. She could live like any other teenager, the only difference being her inseparability from a speaking uniform, and a resume which included having saved the world.

The school didn’t look that much different from before (sans enormous phallic transmitter). The building was huge, windows sparkling, and students were roaming about the grounds, greeting their friends and discussing the mild Fall weather. Bicycles zipped by towards the bicycle shed, and some people were already running, not wanting to be late on their first day.

“Ah, it’s so busy!” Mako exclaimed, her head turning from left to right as she scanned the area for familiar faces. “Do you think the others are here yet?”

Ryuko shrugged.

“Probably. Leave it up to Satsuki to make sure her council of crazy arrives ridiculously early.” She said.

“They’ll be taking classes now too!” Mako said excitedly. “Do you think we’ll see them?”

Ryuko shook her head.

“They’re still older than we are. They’ll be in different classes.” And that’s probably for the best, Ryuko thought. Not that she disliked the council of crazy (nor did she dislike her sister), but things would likely get a bit too intense with all of them in the same class. Mako seemed a little disappointed though.

“-But we can still see them during breaks.” Ryuko added quickly, and Mako’s smile returned in threefold. There was a ringing sound in the distance that Ryuko couldn’t place, until she noticed everyone around her break into a sprint. Oh, right. Man, how long has it been since she last heard the school bell?

“The bell!” Mako said. “Let’s go!” She grabbed Ryuko’s arm, and the two of them dashed for their class.

They burst through the door right as roll call started, and Ryuko had a strange sense of déjà vu when Mr. Mikisugi paused for a second, sighed, and then jotted her down as present. Nailed it. Mr. Mikisugi wouldn’t get too upset anyway, but it would be best if Ryuko didn’t have to rely on her (unwanted) status as teacher’s pet. She quietly took a seat, while he continued the roll call.

Seeing him in front of the class was kind of nostalgic.

With Nudist Beach officially disbanded, Aikuro decided to resume his work as a teacher. He had the right qualifications, and knew most of the students. He looked wildly different, though. Aikuro was no longer required to hide his identity, making his shabby professor getup a thing of the past. He now taught with flair and flourishes, his hair slicked back and the top two buttons of his dress shirt undone. (Initially, he didn’t have it buttoned at all. Satsuki found this unacceptable.)

As Mr. Mikisugi kept reading out names, the students were expected to stand up and give a short introduction. Not that they needed it- Everyone still seemed to know each other, and they most certainly knew Ryuko. There was a bit of staring, but much to her relief, both students and teachers treated her like any other student.

It didn’t take long for things to fall back into their old patterns, and before Ryuko had taken a single line of notes, she was already dozing off. A warm, deep voice roused her from her impromptu nap.

“Are you really sleeping on the first day of class.”

Senketsu sounded amused more than reprimanding, and Ryuko quickly straightened in her seat, rubbing her eyes.

“I wasn’t sleeping.” She said. Out loud. Right, it wasn’t all that normal to go around talking to your uniform during class. Oops.

A few heads turned, but Mr. Mikisugi ignored Ryuko’s interruption, and a few seconds later everyone’s attention was back on the blackboard. Senketsu snickered, and Ryuko huffed quietly. She picked up her pencil, and scribbled something in her notebook. Senketsu’s eyes blinked down at the paper.

_You did that on purpose._

She immediately changed the period to an exclamation mark. Her scrawly handwriting was a bit hard to decipher, but Senketsu liked to think he was an expert when it came to anything involving Ryuko, and that included the messy way in which she wrote.

“I wasn’t the one falling asleep, was I?” He asked her, and she rolled her eyes, her pencil scratching the paper as she wrote more.

_Should’ve left you at home._

It wasn’t like Ryuko needed a uniform. Since the school got rebuilt, the regulations have changed as well, and school uniforms are no longer mandatory. Students are free to wear whatever they want, with a few obvious restrictions. Because of this new rule, there were only two students left who wore uniforms. Gamagori, for reasons no one had time to listen to (they most likely involved discipline), and Ryuko.

“Too bad you don’t have any other outfits.” Senketsu joked, smiling inwardly at the soft groan that slipped past Ryuko’s lips.

She did have other outfits (she went shopping with Mako sometimes), though they hadn’t seen much wear aside from her pajamas. They both knew that wasn’t why Ryuko wore Senketsu to school, though.

_Shut up._

Ryuko paused, thinking, and then added some more words.

_I’m trying to listen to the lecture._

Senketsu chuckled, and Ryuko gave a quick tug on the hem of her shirt to shut him up. It was mildly effective.

In the end, Ryuko just dozed off again, and this time, Senketsu let her rest undisturbed. He’d tease her about it later, when she could actually speak, and he could hear that fiery edge that slips in her voice whenever the two of them bicker. That was probably one of his favorite sounds in the world, second only to the sound of Ryuko’s heartbeat.

Lunchtime came in the blink of an eye. Ryuko and Mako went to the cafeteria, and said hi to Mako’s mother, who scooped a few extra croquettes on both of their plates with a cheerful smile and a wink. Gamagori dropped by their table as they ate, stuck in a rather stiff posture and a somewhat nervous expression. Ryuko felt jittery just looking at him.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” He asked.

“Oh hi! No, go right ahead.” Mako answered in between mouthfuls of croquette. Gamagori averted his gaze, and shuffled around the chair before sitting down next to her. Ryuko took a moment to appreciate the huge contrast between the two- she could easily fit herself in the gap between their heights. Thrice.

“How has your day been so far?” Gamagori asked after a moment. “No one has been bothering you, right?”

It took a second before Ryuko realized she was supposed to answer. Gamagori was looking at her with inquisitive eyes, fists clenched like he was preparing to punish anyone who all but dared to look in their direction.

“Nah, it’s been fine.” Ryuko said, and she waved her hand at Gamagori, hoping it’d get him to ease up on the scary aura he was emitting. He did relax a little, though he tensed again the moment Mako spoke up.

“Everyone’s been so nice! I’m really relieved.” She took a large sip from her strawberry milk, and beamed up at Gamagori, whose cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. Ryuko wondered if either of them noticed the milk mustache Mako was sporting.

“G-good.” He said. He ran a hand through his hair. “If anything does happen, please do not hesitate to call me.”

Ryuko nodded, and Gamagori nodded back. The bell rang seconds later.

“Aw, over already?” Mako said. Ryuko got up and started to collect their plates, but Gamagori interrupted her.

“Please- I’ll take care of it.” He said. Ryuko was going to say something, but Mako had thanked him for his trouble long before Ryuko could protest.

The rest of the day went by fast. There wasn’t much actual learning yet, it was mostly announcements for future plans involving the school, and introductions of new teachers. After a rather uneventful afternoon, Mako and Ryuko were already walking back home. The sun hung low in the sky, and Autumn leaves were scattered across the path, crunching pleasantly under Ryuko's sneakers.

“I’m so excited for the party.” Mako mused, swinging her bag with every step. “I wonder if there’s gonna be food.”

“Party?” Ryuko asked.

“Didn’t you hear? There’s going to be a school dance to celebrate that the school’s back!” Mako said enthusiastically. Her face pulled into a pensive frown. “I should wear comfortable shoes..”

“You would’ve known about this if you hadn’t been sleeping all day.” Senketsu piped up, and Ryuko’s glared down at her uniform. How a garment could look so smug was beyond her, but Senketsu managed to pull it off. She was ready to pull _him_ off, if he kept being a jerk.

“Oh, we should match outfits!” Mako said, but then she seemed to reconsider. “Wait, you’re gonna wear Senketsu, duh. Never mind! Or maybe I should wear something that matches with Senketsu..” Mako fell quiet as she got lost in thought.

“You don’t have to wear me.” Senketsu said quickly. “It’s a special event, you should wear something fitting.”

“I will.” Ryuko replied quietly, so only he could hear.

After all, few things fit her better than Senketsu did.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Through time I've gotten more comments on this fic of people who really wanted me to continue, so I'll give it a shot! Here's hoping I won't let you down.

“And this goes there…”

Mako sounds focused, the tip of her tongue peeking past her lips and her face pulled into a frown. Ryuko turns around to look at her, but gets stopped.

“Don’t move! I’m not done yet.” Mako protests, and Ryuko slumps back into her seat.

Tonight was the school dance. Ryuko insisted she was only going because Mako wanted to go, but if she had to be honest, Ryuko was pretty curious herself. She’d never been to any parties, and Mako’s excitement was contagious, making Ryuko feel nervous and jittery in a way she’d never really felt before.

It made it very hard for her to sit still.

“Pin please.” Mako said, and Ryuko handed her the hairclip she’d been holding onto. She felt Mako carefully sliding it into her hair, and after a bit more tweaking, Mako stepped back with a satisfied grin on her face.

“Done.” She said, triumphant. When Ryuko reached up to touch the braid Mako had laid into the front lock of her hair, her hand got slapped away.

“Don’t touch it!” Mako warned, and Ryuko mumbled a quick apology before taking the small hand mirror Mako offered her. She inspected her hair while Mako ran off to retrieve some of her mother’s make-up.

It was a simple braid, pinned back behind her ear with a star-shaped clip. Ryuko felt a bit naked with her hair done away from her face, but she didn’t dislike it. Mostly, she wondered what Senketsu would think.

He was in the other room, getting ironed by Mako’s mother while the girls got ready. He never really spent a moment away from Ryuko, and it felt strange to be apart, even if their distance was just one room. It only made him more antsy to get worn again.

Beforehand, Senketsu had suggested that Ryuko should wear something else to the dance, something more festive than his navy and red, but Ryuko would have none of it. They bickered, but in reality, Senketsu didn’t mind (at all). He’d been laundered for the occasion, which was a lot easier to withstand now that he knew what he was doing it for. As the wrinkles were smoothed out of his fibers, Senketsu thought of tonight’s dance, and what it’d be like.

Clothes were usually accessories, not dates.

Wait. Was this a date?

Senketsu didn’t know much about dates. All he knew is what he heard from Mako, and apparently dates involved dressing up, going outside and eating a lot of ice-cream. That meant that he was incapable of participating in most of it, and Senketsu frowned as he thought it over. This would be one of those rare times where he wished others could understand him too, just so he could confirm whether or not tonight was going to be a date. One thing he did know, was that you were supposed to go on a date with someone you like.

Like, _like_ like.

Like more than ironing, or Ryuko’s blood after she’s gone for a run. Again, Senketsu’s fabric pulled into wrinkles.

“Gosh Senketsu, stop fidgeting so much! I’ll never get you straightened out like this.” Mako’s mother tuts him, and Senketsu quickly corrects himself, staying as still as he can.

Mako made a kissy face at the mirror, and winked at herself, flashing a satisfied smile. Her lips shone a glossy pink, and her eyes sparkled even more with shimmering powder surrounding them. Ryuko stared at her, and then back at the various make-up supplies Mako had dumped on the floor in front of her. Mako had wanted to apply them to Ryuko too, but as soon as she pulled out a mascara brush, Ryuko panicked and declined as politely as she could.

Mako looked pretty, though. Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to try a bit of make-up, too. But where to start? There were so many different brushes and tubes and tiny containers that Ryuko felt overwhelmed by it all, and not a single thing appealed to her. It led her to just continue staring, her face pulling further and further into a frown.

“Don’t you like make-up, Ryuko?” Mako asked, plopping down in front of her. Ryuko sighed, and shook her head.

“I don’t think so.” She answered, obviously feeling bad about it. Most other girls she knew wore make-up now and then, and even Satsuki painted her lips sometimes, in shades of red that made knees weak. Mako seemed to pick up on Ryuko’s mood, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“That’s ok! We can all like different things. Plus, make-up is expensive so it’s much cheaper if you don’t like it!” How Mako managed to make that sound encouraging, Ryuko didn’t know, but it made her feel a lot better regardless. She smiled at her, and glanced at the pile of make-up once more. They should probably clean that up before anyone trips over it.

Then Ryuko noticed a small, fragile-looking bottle among some bright-colored eye pencils. She reached for it, and picked it up.

“This isn’t the perfume your mom wears, is it?” Ryuko asked, and Mako inspected the bottle closely, sniffed, and shook her head.

“Nope. It doesn’t smell like mom.”

Ryuko closed her eyes and breathed in. It smelled really nice, like fresh cotton and lotus flowers.

“Can I?” Ryuko asked, and Mako nodded.

“Mom said we could use anything from the bag.” That bag had been upturned as soon as Mako got back to the room. (Digging through it took forever, and Mako said it was more fun this way.) Ryuko carefully sprayed some of the perfume behind her ears, shivering at the brief cold against her skin. Mako had already begun gathering up everything to put it back into the bag, and Ryuko helped her out.

“Ryuko, I’ve put Senketsu on his hanger in your room.” Mako’s mother peeked her head in from behind the door, and Ryuko quickly jumped to her feet, relieved to see it was just Sukuyo (she was still in just underwear, after all). “Oh my, you girls look so pretty!”

“Uhm, thanks.” Ryuko said, feeling her cheeks tint at Sukuyo’s compliment. “I’ll get dressed now.” She added, excusing herself from Mako’s room to slip into her own.

She’s never felt this nervous to go into her own room, but her hands are nearly shaking as she lets herself in, and quietly closes the door behind her. Senketsu hangs with his face turned to the wardrobe, and Ryuko snorts. Sukuyo must’ve hung him up like that without realizing it.

“Ryuko, is that you?” Senketsu says hopefully.

“Yeah, hold on.” She answers, stepping up to the wardrobe and turning the hanger around. Senketsu blinks a few times, his eyes adjusting to the light before they focus on Ryuko- and widen slightly.

The braid in her hair gives Ryuko an edge of classic beauty, her normally unruly locks brushed out and shining, even in the low light of her room. It’s strange how such a small change makes such a big difference. Senketsu’s seams go slack as he stares at her, not saying a word, and Ryuko fidgets slightly, shuffling her feet and averting her gaze.

“What’re you looking at.” She huffs, crossing her arms as if it would protect her from Senketsu’s staring.

“You.” Senketsu answers, quickly adding. “I mean, uh. You look nice. You look really nice, Ryuko.”

She meets his eyes for a second, and Senketsu could already taste the “shut up” ready on her lips, but instead she mumbles “thanks”, and turns around. When it stays quiet, Ryuko glances at him from over her shoulder.

“Are you going to keep hanging there, or are you going to help me get dressed. We’ve got a party to go to.”

She didn’t have to ask twice.


	5. Chapter 5

Mako’s father drove the girls to school, and shook hands with Gamagori, who’d been waiting at the gate. Ryuko wasn’t sure if he was there to act as a bouncer, or if he was just waiting for Mako to arrive. Regardless, he treated Mako’s father like he was royalty, and promised with his head bowed that he’d return her (and Ryuko) home safe after the dance’s conclusion.

Around them, students were getting dropped off by their parents, or arrived in small groups, chatting cheerfully as they entered the building. Ryuko’s stomach fluttered with anticipation. She could hear the music seeping through the walls, and it made something thrum in her chest.

“Ready?” Mako asked, her smile bright. Gamagori tried to smile as well (it was a good attempt, but he looked so nervous that it seemed like smiling hurt his face). Ryuko nodded, and they went inside ahead of her. Ryuko guessed that meant Gamagori was here for Mako, and not for enforcement of the rules. As her mind drifted, she felt the cuff of her sleeve tighten around her right hand.

“Are you okay, Ryuko?” Senketsu says, his voice still clear despite the plethora of noise surrounding them.

“Yeah.” Ryuko answers. She curls her fingers around his cuff, draws a deep breath, and steps into the momentarily repurposed school.

It’s a good thing Ryuko was used to overwhelming surroundings. She wasn’t sure who was in charge of the festivities club, but they’d gone all out to make the school hall the spitting image of a clichéd 80s dance club. Colorful lights reflected off of various disco balls hanging from the ceiling; Ryuko could even spy a smoke machine near the stage where the DJ was stationed.

Well, DJs. Nonon insisted to be in charge of the music, but she had no idea how to work with digital tracks, which is where Hoka stepped in. The result was the two of them continuously bickering over what to play- but at least there was music (it was nigh impossible to hear their arguing over the bass anyway). Every now and then Uzu would give them a warning look, to absolutely no effect at all.

Ryuko stood quietly, just taking it all in. A few students were dancing already, though timid and somewhat shy. Ryuko watched as Gamagori greeted his fellow student council colleagues. It seemed he instantly got dragged into picking sides regarding the next song, while Mako just stared her eyes out at all the colorful buttons and sliders. It made Ryuko smile. It was still a bit hard to believe how far they’d come in such a short time. That there was no more danger, no longer a constant threat.

“It’s good to see you here, Ryuko, Senketsu.” A familiar voice spoke up at Ryuko’s side.

Satsuki had kept her outfit casual, and Ryuko was glad to see she wasn’t the only one to have forgone a dress. Satsuki still looked stunning, though. Her cropped hair framed her face beautifully, and her lips were painted a shade of red that put roses to shame. Ryuko found herself unable to look at her sister without staring, wondering how she pulled off looking so effortlessly powerful. A smile called her attention back to the present, and Ryuko realized she hadn’t replied to the greeting yet. She nodded quickly, and averted her eyes.

“Of course I’m here. We worked hard for this.” She said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Satsuki hummed, regarding Ryuko with a knowing look. It made her a bit nervous.

“I hope you’ll enjoy yourself.” Satsuki then said, giving a small, polite bow of her head before moving on to greet others. Ryuko scoffed quietly, and rubbed her nose before turning back to the dancefloor. Always so formal.

Things were loosening up now that it was getting busier. More and more students gathered the courage to step a bit further onto the floor, dragging their friends along, and once the initial embarrassment had been pushed away, there was nothing but dance and laughter. Ryuko stayed safely at the sidelines, but she still stared, wondering if the others were having as much fun as they seemed to be having.

Meanwhile, Senketsu didn’t know where to look. All the lights, all those people, all their sounds- Ryuko’s steady heartbeat was the only thing that kept him from feeling overwhelmed. There was an excitement to it though, a sense of wonder and enthusiasm that made his fibers buzz. After everything he’s been through, Senketsu didn’t think there’d be much left to see that would surprise him. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting of this dance either, but what he’s seen so far wasn’t too bad.

Contrarily, it actually stirred something akin to giddiness inside of him, an eagerness to join in. He wasn’t sure what caused it: the strange sensation in his fabric at every drop of the bass, or the excitement he could feel dripping into Ryuko’s blood.

“Will you stay by the wall, Ryuko.” Senketsu asked.

“I can stay here if I want to.” She replied, immediately defensive.

“Of course,” Senketsu said. “But don’t you want to dance?” It was a rhetorical question. Senketsu knew she wanted to dance, or at least try to dance. Ryuko stood light on her feet, weight shifting from side to side, and she kept looking around to see if anyone was looking at her.

“Maybe.” Ryuko answered, feeling oddly embarrassed. No one would expect her of all people to get embarrassed to do anything after all the exposure she’s been through, but this was different. This wasn’t a fight, or a race, or even an argument. There was nothing to win, and there was no purpose other than her own enjoyment.

And that felt weird.

Ryuko was fine with having hundreds of people watching her fight, but fellow students watching her dance? The thought alone made her want to bury a hole to go hide in.

While Senketsu noticed her shame, he failed to pinpoint the source. He figured Ryuko might feel awkward stepping onto the floor alone, with her ‘date’ being her uniform and all. Right as he was about to gather the courage to confirm his fears, Ryuko cleared her throat.

“I’m just waiting for someone to ask me to dance.”

Senketsu blinked. It took him a few seconds to realize Ryuko was talking about him, but once he did, his fibers grew a bit warmer. Ryuko felt this, and averted her eyes as the same warmth took her face with a soft pink glow.

“Don’t take all night.” Ryuko followed up, and Senketsu stammered, before straightening his seams and putting on the clearest voice he could manage amidst his nerves.

“Ryuko, would you dance with me?”

Ryuko bit the inside of her cheek to tame her smile, and gave a tiny nod.

“Yeah. Obviously.”

Dancing with Senketsu wasn’t at all as difficult as it would seem. In fact, Ryuko felt pretty certain she preferred this over dancing with anyone else. He moved with her without stumbling, never stepped on her toes, and never strayed too far. It was perfect.

Senketsu could feel his initial worries melting away with every step Ryuko took. Her body felt fluid, floating, kind of like when they synchronized, yet different enough to feel like a new sensation altogether. He wouldn’t have dreamed of ever getting to dance. Let alone getting to dance with Ryuko, but here he was, with her hands on the hem of his skirt, on the cuffs of his sleeves, his pleats fluttering around her as she finally allowed herself to have fun.

It was amazing.

And then, the steady beat slowed into a ballad. The lights went down, and the students stilled nervously, shuffling their feet and looking around for potential dance partners. Ryuko stopped dancing as well, but she didn’t move from the floor. Senketsu stuttered around her, trying to think of what to say, how to ask for this dance too, but Ryuko intercepted his thoughts with the gentle touch of her right hand on his left sleeve.

And then her left hand on the other, as if she were holding herself. In reality though, she was holding him. Senketsu could feel Ryuko’s hesitation when she slowly began to step, sway from side to side.

Next thing he knew, they were slow dancing, Ryuko’s cheek tucked against his shoulder, her fingers soft against his fabric. He could feel her heart racing.

“Ryuko-” Senketsu started, whispering.

“Shut up.” She said, flustered. “Don’t ruin it.”

So he stayed quiet, and when the song ended, both of them seemed reluctant to let go. Ryuko’s arms finally relaxed back to her sides, just in time to catch Mako, who came flying across the dance floor to an upbeat song, asking Ryuko and Senketsu to dance with her.

And they did.

One song after another, they danced and laughed and jumped until the lights came back on, and the festival club’s members gently began ushering students to leave. Mako was still dancing by the time they reached Gamagori’s car, humming songs Ryuko didn’t even remember being played. She followed her with small steps, and a small smile plastered on her face.

It wasn’t until they got home, until Ryuko collapsed onto her bed with Senketsu still wrapped around her, that Ryuko felt how tired she was. She closed her eyes, disco lights still flashing behind them, and they both fell asleep before they even finished saying goodnight.


End file.
